


Homesick 4 You

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: MiraculousFluffMonth 2017 [21]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 04:54:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11867166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: Adrien is in Milan for an extended fashion-related business trip.  He misses his cuddle buddy and has a strong need to discuss feelings over Skype.





	Homesick 4 You

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct sequel to All the Cats Out of Bags, though it can stand on its own. It is also the Miraculous Fluff month's Aug 21 prompt, distance.

Marinette's computer blipped at her, notifying her of an incoming Discord message.  "Oh, hey Alya, Adrien's online," she spoke quickly into her phone.  They had started out doing homework, but had moved on to the ethical considerations of keeping sensitive information confidential.  Alya was writing a paper on it, and the all her research and reading made her rethink a few things about her goals with the Ladyblog.  "I know he's super lonely in Milan, so is it okay if chat with him a bit?"

Alya laughed.  "Yeah.  You've heard all this before, anyway."

Marinette met Tikki's eyes and smiled.  "True, but for what it's worth, I agree with you.  And I think your change in policy or whatever it could be called, is a mature and socially responsible perspective."

"Thanks, cupcake, I'll see you tomorrow," Alya said.

Marinette jiggled her mouse and signed in to her computer.  Her chat with Adrien popped up. 

**Hugdrien** : Do you have any idea how hug deprived I am right now?

**Princess** : I do, actually.  I've been logging your hug activity for the last several months.  You are going to require intensive cuddling when you return.

**Hugdrien** : Should I schedule an appointment now?

**Princess** : No need.  I've set aside my entire schedule for your treatment.

**Hugdrien** : Oh good.

**Princess** : How was today's shoot?

**Hugdrien** : Terrible.  Pretty much everything that could go wrong, did.

**Princess** : Oh, no!  I am so sorry. That's awful.

**Hugdrien** : Camile asked my father why you weren't with me.  She claims you're some sort of good luck charm.

**Hugdrien** : She'd be far more right than she realizes.

**Princess** : Really?!

**Hugdrien** . Obvsly.  Have you not noticed how well my shoots go when you're there?

**Princess** : I just figured I hadn't hit a bad one yet.

**Hugdrien** : Yeah.  Well you are the personification of good luck, too, and it counters my shit luck, so…

**Princess** : It's so unfair that you have bad luck.  You don't deserve that.

**Hugdrien** : If it means I get to be your Kitty, it's worth it.

**Princess** : Awwwwwwwww

**Hugdrien** : I'm supposed to be getting ready for dinner, but I wanted to check and see if you could Skype tomorrow?  Not as nice as actually hugging you, but seeing you and talking to you would be really nice.

**Princess** : Yeah.  What time?

**Hugdrien** : Is 21:30 too late?

**Princess** : Pffft.  I have patrols that start later.

**Hugdrien** : True.  But since I've been gone for two weeks. Two god-awful long weeks, that is, I'm not sure where you are in your sleep status.

**Princess** : Pretty well rested.

**Princess** : 21:30 it is.  I put it in my calendar.

**Hugdrien** : Ooh.  It's… like a date and everything.

**Princess** : Skype date?

**Hugdrien** : It's a real thing.

**Hugdrien** : Anyway, see you tomorrow.  Sleep well my bug.

 

* * *

"I just e-mailed you today's homework," Marinette said, smiling at the real-time image of Adrien on her monitor.  "I eagerly await your… impression on the physics reading."

Adrien laughed, leaning back in his chair, the pale pink walls of his hotel room behind him.  "Do you, then.  Should we do another Skype date tomorrow to go over it?"

"Oooh.  Study date," she said, giggling.  She wasn't sure if he was intentionally using the word 'date' to make a point or if it was a hint, or if it was just a coincidence.  Though their relationship hadn't really changed since her parents caught him sleeping in her bed, she'd felt tension that hadn't been there before.  It was like she had a need to define what they were.

"Nino swears by it," he said, shrugging.

Marinette snorted.  "I don't think they get much studying done.   **And** I'm pretty sure they don't do it over Skype."

He sighed.  "Yeah.  Hard to cuddle from another country."

"Digital cuddle date?" she asked.

"That is definitely  **not** a thing," he said, pouting.

"It would be missing a crucial component, yeah."  She nodded in agreement.  It was nice to be able to see him, but it almost made her miss him more.  When she watched his hand slide through his freshly washed hair, pushing it back, she felt a pang of jealousy.  She wanted to be the one to tangle her fingers in that soft mess.

"I really miss you," he said, his voice softer all of a sudden.  "It's… always hard to be away from Paris, but it's extra hard this time."

"Why do you suppose that is?" she asked, trying not to let any of her hopes form into full ideas.

"You," he said simply.

She straightened up, one hand coming up to tap the center of her chest.  "Me?  How?"

He tilted his head and gazed at his fingers, tracing patterns on the table in front of him.  "Both sides of you have been important to me since we met, but now, you're just this constant wonderful presence in my life.  And I don't think I can go an hour without finding something I want to share with you, or a pun I want to tell you."  A small uncertain smile settled on his face.  "I used to miss Ladybug when I had to go away, of course.  But that was… shallower in a way.  Now it's like being homesick, only for a person rather than a place."

"Oh," she whispered, finding it strangely difficult to breathe.  She reached out and touched his cheek on the screen.  It was hard and warm, nothing like his face in real life.  "I miss you a lot, too.  I don't think I really have the words to explain it."

"Can I tell you something?" he asked, more uncertain than she'd ever heard him.  

"You can tell me anything, Kitty," she insisted.

"It's… um… intense.  Very personal and potentially embarrassing.  I don't want you to feel pressured in any way."  His hand ran from his forehead, through his hair, to finally rest on the back of his neck.  "You don't have to have a response to it.  I just… I feel like I'm lying by not telling you."

"It's okay," she promised.  "I am very familiar with personal and embarrassing.  You've met my parents, remember?"  She snickered.  "You know, those people who give you bread baking lessons and sex advice at the same time."  She felt her cheeks heat up.

He nodded and took a breath.  "Okay.  Uhm… this is harder than I expected."  His eyes flicked down to his hands than seemed to consciously come back up to meet hers.  "I really like you Mari."

Oh.  That was definitely okay.  "I like you, too."

"It's… quite a bit stronger than friend kind of like," he explained.  Oh god, he was blushing and it was adorable.  "Uhm.  A lot stronger.  And different.  I'd noticed it before.  I mean, I was definitely crushing on you when you took the zip line.  And then you hugged me, which was just  **so** perfect.  It was a little moment of heaven.  I thought hanging out with you and getting hugs once in a while would be enough, you know?"

She nodded, but he continued before she could speak.

"And it  **was** .  But then I found out you're my partner, and it was like a door opened up and I could see you so much better."  He was talking quickly, rushing to get his thoughts out.  "There were no more secrets or barriers.  I knew you, and you knew me."  

This part of his rambling monologue resonated with her.  Learning he was Chat Noir, her secret best friend, had dramatically changed her understanding of him.  She nodded, but didn't try to interrupt.

"But about a month ago… a month before I left, I mean, when we were watching movies, I looked at you and I realized it."  He was waving his hands around at this point.

"Realized what?" she prompted.

"I just looked at you and I thought, oh.  I love her."  He froze for a moment, his mouth hanging open as he stared at her through the monitor.  "And thinking it, it just felt right.  There was this calm that sort of washed over me.  It was natural and comfortable, like finding where you belong."

"Oh.  Wow."  Her fingers had wrapped themselves in the front of her shirt, clinging desperately. 

"And you absolutely don't have to do anything with this information," he held out both hands and shook his head.  "You don't have to feel the same way for me.  I just… I know that when Chat flirted with Ladybug, it was easy to brush it off.  It was fun, but lacked depth, and… I was actually in love with you then, as Ladybug, but I never really made that clear.  And I wanted to be clear this time around."  He let out a heavy breath.  "So… yeah.  Uhm."  He glanced around his room.  "I should probably let you get to sleep, so…"

"Would you go out with me?" she blurted.  She hadn't meant to ask like that, rushed and crazy.  She wanted to give him some beautiful words, but her brain was not cooperating at the moment.

"Uhm… what?"  He looked so hopeful.

"When you get back to Paris," she said.  "Would you go out to dinner with me?"

"Like a date?" he asked.

Smiling, she nodded eagerly.  "Not  **like** a date, but an  **actual** date."

"Yes," he said, beaming and nodding.  "Yes, I would love to do that."

She nodded, wondering if he was almost overwhelmed by happiness like she was.  "Okay.  I'll plan something."

 

* * *

Marinette's phone chimed.  Figuring it was Alya, she ignored it and focused on her history homework.  The phone chimed again.

"Ooh.  Marinette," Tikki said, swiping her paws over the screen.  "It's Adrien."

"Oh!"  She straightened up so abruptly, she nearly tipped over her chair.  "Oops."

**Kitty** : I miss U! 

**Kitty** : Want to see U!

Smiling, she texted back.  "I miss U 2!"  She followed up with, "Wanna Skype 2night?"

**Kitty** : Can't. <sad kitty emoji>  There are reservations.  And plans.

He'd be home in a few more days, and she'd planned out a nice date for them that allowed for cuddling while hitting a couple of their favorite places in both forms.  "Don't be sad," she sent back.  "It's Friday.  You can text me even if it's late when you get done."

She heard footsteps on the stairs, heavier than Mama, but swifter than Papa.  She turned just in time to see Adrien burst into the room.  His cheeks were pink, maybe from the wind, and he was holding a bouquet of red roses.  "Hi."  His steps faltered.  "I got off early for good behavior."

She got out of her chair so fast it fell over, and she didn't care.  She rushed toward him, throwing her arms around him.  "You need so many hugs."  To be fair, she wanted a whole lot of hugs, too.

The bunch of flowers settled in the center of her back as he returned her eager embrace.  "My father is still in Milan, will be for the whole next week."

"Excellent.  You can stay the whole time."  She burrowed her face in the front of his shirt, breathing in his scent.  Next time he had to travel, she was making him leave a shirt.  "Did you bring clothes?"

"Did he bring clothes?" Plagg's slightly nasal voice piped up.  "He's ready to move in, Princess."

"Good."  She felt giddy.  Without letting go, she leaned back to look up at him.  There were shadows under his eyes, things they'd had to hide with makeup that told her he needed rest, but he looked happy.  "Welcome home Kitty."

He leaned in a little, brushing her nose lightly with his.  "May I kiss you?  I  **really** want to kiss you."

Giggling, she tilted her chin up to him.  "I'd like that."  Her initial impression was warm and soft.  It was slightly reminiscent of the kiss she'd given him during an unfortunate valentine related akuma.  There was no rush of desire or fireworks, it was more of a sense of peace settling over her, as if she'd been tightly tense since their last Skype chat, and his kiss melted it all away.

At the end of the kiss, he didn't pull away immediately.  His eyes were still closed as his slow breath brushed over her face.  "Hmm."  His eyes fluttered open.  "I think I'm kiss deficient."

"Oh no."  She moved one hand to his cheek as she attempted to role play dismay.  She was too happy.  "We'll have to fix that, too."

He kissed her cheek and stepped back.  "I'm taking you to dinner.  If you're willing to accompany me, that is."

"But I have a date all planned for Wednesday," she protested.  "I made reservations, and everything."

He grinned.  "Is there a rule that says you can't take me out Wednesday if I take you out now?"

She'd wanted to be responsible for the first date, but it wasn't worth getting bent out of shape over.  She shook her head.

He let out an exaggerated sigh.  "Good.  Because I think we're date deficient, too, and we'll have to work hard to address that."

**Author's Note:**

> There will be one more story in the Hugdrien series for Fluffgust.
> 
> I'm also over on tumblr, so feel free to stop by and visit if you'd like. My content is multi-fandom, with a lot of ML. http://freedom-shamrock.tumblr.com


End file.
